FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to novel cyclopropyl N-hydroxyurea end N-hydroxyacetamide derivatives. The compounds of the present invention inhibit the action of the enzyme lipoxygenase end are useful in the treatment or alleviation of inflammatory diseases, allergy end cardiovascular diseases in mammals. This invention also relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising such compounds end to the use of such compounds in treating inflammatory diseases, allergy end cardiovascular diseases in mammals. This invention further relates to methods of making such compounds.
Arachidonic acid is known to be the biological precursor of several groups of endogenous metabolites, prostaglendins including prostacydins, thromboxenes end leukotrienes. The first step of arachidonic acid metabolism is the release of arachidonic acid end related unsaturated fatty acids from membrane phospholipids, via the action of phospholipase. Free fatty acids are then metabolized either by cyclooxygenase to produce the prostaglendins end thromboxenes or by lipoxygenase to generate hydroperoxy fatty acids which may be further converted to the leukotrienes. Leukotrienes have been implicated in the patiophysiology of inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, gout, asthma, ischemia reperfusion injury, psoriasis end inflammatory bowel disease. Any drug that inhibits lipoxygenase is expected to provide significant new therapy for both acute end chronic inflammatory conditions.
Several review articles on lipoxygenase inhibitors have been reported (See H. Masamune et ed., Ann. Rep. Med. Chem., 24, 71-80 (1989) end B. J. Fitzsimmons et al., Leukotrienes and Lipoxygenases, 427-502 (1989).
Compounds of the same general class as the compounds of the present invention are disclosed in EP 279263 A2, EP 196184 A2, EP 436199 A, JP (Kohyo) 502179/88, JP (Appln.) 105648/90 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,822,809.